Abbott, AZ extend co-promotion to Trilipix

AstraZeneca will help Abbott reach more physicians with its Trilipix (fenofibric acid) drug, a cholesterol product approved by FDA last December.

The companies also announced an NDA submission for Certriad, a Trilipix/Crestor combination. Abbott and AstraZeneca teamed up last August to co-promote Crestor.

“We're two separate companies that have relationships with different physicians,” said Donna Huang, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca, adding that the co-promotion will “help Abbott increase the share of voice [for Trilipix], as well as reach out to new physicians.” Huang declined to give the specifics on sales rep relegations between the two companies.

Trilipix and Certriad (the latter pending FDA approval) are indicated for mixed dyslipidemia, or “a combination of two or more lipid abnormalities, including high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol,” according to a joint company statement. Huang said the companies expect FDA to make a decision about Certriad in 2010.

According to Elizabeth Hoff, a spokesperson at Abbott, Trilipix was studied in combination with Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor, and "demonstrated that combination therapy led to greater improvements in the three key lipids than the corresponding monotherapies."

Under the terms of the co-promotion agreement, AstraZeneca will receive a non-exclusive right to co-promote Trilipix alongside Abbott in the US, excluding Puerto Rico. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.